Intel Group Says Boko Haram Planning Holiday Attack with Help of EU, U.S. Diaspora

A Dutch intelligence firm says that Nigerian terrorist organization Boko Haram is planning attacks around the time of Christmas with the help of diaspora in the U.S. and Europe.

Four years ago on Christmas Day, underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to detonate plastic explosives on a Northwest Airlines flight coming into Detroit. Abdulmutallab was linked to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Since then, an alliance in Northern Africa has grown between Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Somalia’s Al-Shabaab, and Boko Haram. The Obama administration has largely written off the al-Qaeda growth here as a regional problem with limited capability for attacking the U.S.

A House Foreign Affairs subcommittee heard at a chilling November hearing that Boko Haram has not only been beheading Christians with chainsaws, but activists have had trouble getting the State Department to acknowledge the religious nature of the Islamic terror group’s aims.

At the hearing, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield admitted that Washington doesn’t know the size of Boko Haram, just estimating that Boko Haram and splinter group Ansaru number in the “mid-thousands.”

Ultrascan HUMINT services said intelligence from inside Boko Haram indicates that the group is planning to activate operatives within the diaspora this month to attempt attacks “of an unprecedented scale.”

“The synergy in the nexus of cross border organized crime, ideology and terrorism is defining the opportunities, scope and size of terrorist organizations and attacks. Therefore comparing Boko Haram ​​with other terrorist organizations like AQIM and Al Shabaab starts flawed because of the size of Nigeria’s population, Diaspora and the global presence of its organized crime,” the intelligence firm wrote in its alert.

“Africa is a Key Continent for The Al Qaeda Terror Network as a large center of ‘recruitment’ and Terror acts toward the west are increasingly planned from Africa and executed by Africans. Similar to other Al Qaeda affiliates, the scope of the threat by Boko Haram lies in Nigeria’s population and its large Diaspora. The Muslim population of Nigeria is favored by Al Qaeda because it already is disenfranchised, marginalized, and estranged from its Christian led government,” the alert continues.

“Long term, Al Qaeda has a dualistic and holistic strategy for development and deployment, in recent years it purged and took control of Al Shabaab and Boko Haram. It induced the ‘Al Qaeda Strategic Value Pyramid’ including best practices and cost efficiency for international attacks by combining services of independent providers and to attain its goals it trades support, resources or action with cross border criminal organizations. Boko Haram must be considered most advanced, well prepared, disciplined and solid financed terror organization in 50 years. Very effective because of many incorporated lessons learned during the decades of Al Qaeda.”

“…In a diversified threat environment where multiple Al Qaeda affiliates are taking advantage of security gaps, Nigerian criminal networks throughout the world position Boko Haram in the frontline of Al Qaeda and it is vital that we anticipate this threat.”

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said in a recent video that his group is ready to “comfortably confront the United States of America.”

Jacob Zenn, a research analyst of African and Eurasian Affairs for The Jamestown Foundation, told lawmakers last month that the U.S. intelligence community needs more linguists for source analysis in Hausa, Fulani and other indigenous African languages as well as a greater partnership with the Nigerian diaspora — just a couple of steps in a multi-pronged strategy to fight Boko Haram. Both Boko Haram and Ansaru receive “significant funding” from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. He confirmed that both groups “can carry out attacks throughout West Africa.”

“They are more likely to target U.S. interests and personnel in southern Nigeria as a next step before the U.S. homeland,” he said.

Bridget Johnson is a veteran journalist whose news articles and opinion columns have run in dozens of news outlets across the globe. Bridget first came to Washington to be online editor at The Hill, where she wrote The World from The Hill column on foreign policy. Previously she was an opinion writer and editorial board member at the Rocky Mountain News and nation/world news columnist at the Los Angeles Daily News.
She is an NPR contributor and has contributed to USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, Politico and more, and has myriad television and radio credits as a commentator. Bridget is Washington Editor for PJ Media.

You mean like effectively enforcing immigration laws already on the books? Controlling the nation's borders? Allowing the FBI to investigate Moslem groups? Those kinds of actions, instead of just collecting the private communications of ALL Americans?

The diaspora is comfortably ensconced in the USA - getting welfare food stamps and all the other amenities that modern American life has to offer them. No doubt they are enjoying their stay. They'll love it even more when the dunderheads in DC manage to prise our guns from our hands.

I mean, really. If the world is to be transformed, a few broken eggs are inevitable. If that means a few hundred or thousand or even tens of thousands of Americans must suck it up and die for a potential, future, unequivocally fair planet, then thank goodness we have a president who is willing to shoulder that immense burden. In between golf outings and extended holidays in Hawaii, of course.

I would like to see a Pro American and Pro West Administation rather than the pussy cats we have today in the White House, State, Homeland Security,and elsewhere in the current regime.Seems as if Barry and the Democrats can't get enough Muslims in government in order to show balance or whatever they are showing.

i don't see ant conflict between demanding action if a terrorist act occurs and wanting smaller government, including NSA and the military. We can react effectively and inexpensively by adopting General Sherman style total war tactics.

While not being a fan of the Patriot Act or NSA bulk collection of data whether with a warrant or not I just wonder how many of you making comments will be demanding action if something goes down in the US.

You mean like effectively enforcing immigration laws already on the books? Controlling the nation's borders? Allowing the FBI to investigate Moslem groups? Those kinds of actions, instead of just collecting the private communications of ALL Americans?

You mean target people because of their religion? Every hear of the free exercise of religion clause of the First Amendment. Where is your probably cause to investigate Muslim groups? What criteria would you use? Enforcing the immigration laws sounds nice but there are many Muslims now in the United States that came here legally. Do you want to deport them even if they are natural born citizens?

I see you are willing to suspend other people's Constitutional protections as long as yours are protected.

The lesson here is not that these are necessarily bad ideas but that when you are at war some civil liberties get compromised because Constitution is not a suicide pact.

The problem with Islam is that it is not only a religion but a political system. So the question becomes where does the religion end and the political system start?

To me a religion that espouses violence against non-believers as seen in numerous verses in the Qur'an and Hadiths is really more of a political system and not protected under the First Amendment. Furthermore, since about 81% of US mosques promote the more violent forms of jihad through the literature they distribute and/or via the preaching of the Iman, they should be watched.

No tdinva, I'm NOT willing to suspend the Constitution for anyone or any reason, except through due process of law. I want ALL the laws to be enforced equally, and applied equally to everyone.

People here illegally should be deported, PERIOD. people who incite to murder, which is against the law, should be investigated, and if the evidence warrants it, arrested.

BTW, islam incites it's followers to murder infidels merely because they are infidels. That alone, is enough to justify investigation of muslims. You can't have a republic where some people escape justice by claiming religious imperative. You can't have a republic where the Rule of Law is ignored.

You have a valid point. Anyone interested in defending the US borders and citizens (and the same is true here) would have to prove exceptions to existing law to provide for the minimum ability to defend us all against Jihad. That's it, directly and clearly - the First Amendment needs to be amended, abated, exception-ed or whatever the term may be to provide for the protection of citizens ('infidels' in the Islamic theological worldview) against the imminent threat of mass murder. This is justified, and yet all the lawfare, or most of it, is in the opposite direction. Every day this week in Israel there has been an Islamic attack or attempted attack - bus bomb attempt, knifing, and murder (of Israeli Bedouin working on the border fence). Yet, stooges that we all are, we stay silent and hope for quiet, and fear our own politically correct 'managers.' Amazing.

It seems to me with all the spying of citizens, the assurance that Al Qaeda is so weak as to be no threat, our spying on heads of state...we ought to have no worries about the Boko Harum who are here and ready to act...correct?

Isn't that the whole argument? We NEED to be groped at airports, so that the crack team of $8 an hour molesters can "catch" terrorists...or at least give them a good reach around.

And the borders are not a concern, because Nancy Pelosi says nobody is going to be bothered until AFTER they saw off a few heads.

Good thing the army is prepared, because if Boko Harum comes disguised as Orthodox Jews they will be ready to thwart terrorism, (or Catholic/Evangelical carpenters).

It is all this "preparedness" that is supposedly intended to "keep us safe". In Boston at the Marathon...the whole practice of un-diapering grandmothers didn't parlay into stopping Muslims from blowing off a few legs with loaded backpacks.

Will spying on phone calls have a better result in stopping the African Chainsaw Massacre? Well, that's the whole point of not having moats and alligators....wouldn't want to rust out any chainsaws before our crack security details invaded the next Tea Party assembly.

It seems to me with all the spying of citizens, the assurance that Al Qaeda is so weak as to be no threat, our spying on heads of state...we ought to have no worries about the Boko Harum who are here and ready to act...correct?

Isn't that the whole argument? We NEED to be groped at airports, so that the crack team of $8 an hour molesters can "catch" terrorists...or at least give them a good reach around.

And the borders are not a concern, because Nancy Pelosi says nobody is going to be bothered until AFTER they saw off a few heads.

Good thing the army is prepared, because if Boko Harum comes disguised as Orthodox Jews they will be ready to thwart terrorism, (or Catholic/Evangelical carpenters).

It is all this "preparedness" that is supposedly intended to "keep us safe". In Boston at the Marathon...the whole practice of un-diapering grandmothers didn't parlay into stopping Muslims from blowing off a few legs with loaded backpacks.

Will spying on phone calls have a better result in stopping the African Chainsaw Massacre? Well, that's the whole point of not having moats and alligators....wouldn't want to rust out any chainsaws before our crack security details invaded the next Tea Party assembly.

Well, if the "religion" includes promoting terrorism against "the other" - which Islam explicitly does - then infiltration of mosques would seem rather a prudent step, no? No extra criteria required. And how would this suspend constitutional protection? Anyone can "infiltrate" a church and "investigate" what plans they are making any Sunday of the year. Why not a mosque?

Herein lies the dilemma. When someone finds Jesus they go to GQ and says things like gay sex and adultery are sins that God may punish. When a Muslim finds true religion he goes and blows somebody up. You see the problem is that almost everybody who attends a mosque in the United States wouldn't hurt a fly until the find Allah. It is an unpredictable random process. Therefore you have to watch every Muslim to see which finds Allah. Taking that approach you are sure to be violating most Muslim's rights.

We all know the all story where a man walks up to a woman and asks if she will sleep with him for $1 mill. When she says yes he asks if she will do it for free. "What kind of girl do you think I am?" "We have already established that and are just haggling over the price."

Well we have established that all of you who think NSA bullk collection is bad are just like the woman in the story. At least the ACLU is consistent. Without probable cause they are opposed to NSA snooping on everyone.

In the worst year of terrorism (2001) more than twice as many Americans were killed by gangbangers. They too are violent and threat to civil society. Should we toss their rights too? Just checking. Sounds like you take a Piers "the Organ" Morgan approach to the Bill of Rights. It only protects those who we agree with or who aren't a potential threat. Now I don't really object to the measures you suggested but then again I am not in high dungeon over domestic surveillance. I don't like it and don't think it is effective but they did have warrants from the FISA court to collect that data.

You people seem to think that there was a time in the mythical past where all our rights enshrined in the Constitution were rigorously protected. Nothing could be further from the truth. The kind of 4th and 5th Amendment protections that you are thinking of are only 50 years old or so. They are a product of the reviled Warren Court. Before then if Sheriff Wyatt wanted to check things out at Mr. Gridley's house he would mosey on down and knock on your door. If you didn't answer Sheriff Wyatt would kick the door down and look around. If he decided to get a warrant he would wonder on down to Judge Fred's door and ask for one. Here is how it would go:

Sheriff Wyatt: "Judge Fred, I need a warrant to look over Gridley's place."

The diaspora is comfortably ensconced in the USA - getting welfare food stamps and all the other amenities that modern American life has to offer them. No doubt they are enjoying their stay. They'll love it even more when the dunderheads in DC manage to prise our guns from our hands.

The dunderheads are on the side of who or whatever is writing the script. The terrorists are useful tools in furthering their agenda because they will create the crisis for which we will all predictably demand a government response- which will come at the expense of more freedom... something they intend to do anyway- it boils down to a question of opportunity.

I realize Dear Reader is on another well-earned extended multi-million dollar vacation, but you can't help but wonder, he didn't real indicate which way al Qaeda is running:

“…In a diversified threat environment where multiple Al Qaeda affiliates are taking advantage of security gaps, Nigerian criminal networks throughout the world position Boko Haram in the frontline of Al Qaeda and it is vital that we anticipate this threat.”

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said in a recent video that his group is ready to “comfortably confront the United States of America.”